Railway switch controller



y 4, 1937. c. M. HINES 2,079,015

RAILWAY SWITCH CONTROLLER Filed Nov. 50, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet l 0 INVENTOR I. Clqude M Hu es. lg Q/YXXWWM HA5 ATTORNEY y 1937. c. M. HINES 2,079,015

RAILWAY SWITCH CONTROLLER Filed Nov. 30, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fly. 6

c: u: 4;; 5 46 U1 47 Q W46 1 2:9: 4- INVENTOR CZaudeMHipes. BYQR/KMZMA HIS ATTORN EY May 4, 1937. c. M. HINES 2,079,015,

RAILWAY SWITCH CONTROLLE Filed NOV. 30, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 fig. 5.

INVENTOR Claude M Hines.

H s ATTORNEY Patented May 4, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RAILWAY SWITCH CONTROLLER Application November 30, 1935, Serial No. 52,399

6 Claims.

My invention relates to railway switch controllers, and particularly to switch controllers of the type comprising a pivoted contact operating rocker which is moved between two contact operating positions, corresponding to the two positions of the switch, by means of a remotely controlled reversible motor.

One object of my invention is the provision, in a switch controller of the type described, of novel and improved means for positively locking the contact operating rocker in either of its two contact operating positions in such manner that it will become automatically unlocked when the motor is operated to reverse the rocker.

I will describe one form of switch controller embodying my invention, and will then point out the novel features thereof in claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. l. is a top plan view showing one form of switch controller embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a side view of the switch controller shown in Fig. l with certain of the parts in section to better illustrate the construction. Fig. 3 is a righthand end view of the controller shown in Fig, 1 with the end plate "of the motor M removed to better illustrate the construction. Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line IV-IV of Fig. 2. Figs. 5 and 6 are detail sectional views of portions of the controller taken substantially on the lines V-V and VI-VI, respectively, of Fig. 2. Fig. 7 is a top plan View of a portion or the lock mechanism forming part of the switch controller shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts in each of the several views.

Referringfirst to Figs. 1, 2, and 3, the circuit controller here shown comprises a rocker I which is adapted to be oscillated between normal and reverse extreme positions, corresponding to the normal and reverse positions of a railway switch, by means of a reversible electric motor M. The rocker l is mounted to swing in bearing screws 2,1one of which is mounted in the motor frame, and the other of which is mounted in a post 4 formed integral with a base plate 5. and secured to the rocker l by means of insulating studs 6 are a plurality of flexible contact members, here shown as three in number, and designated by the reference characters "I, 8, an'd'9, respectively. These contact members are of inverted U-shape, and the upwardly extending arms thereof cooperate with fixed contact members 1 l 8 8 and 9 9 to form reversecontacts l-'l ,'8-8 and 9 9 orznorm'al -contacts l-'| ,88 ,'and 9-9 according as the rocker (c1. zoo-92) is swung to its reverse, position or to its normal position. The fixed contact members 1, l 8, 8 9 and S are respectively secured to an insulating top plate I Lby means of terminalposts l2, l3, I l, l5, l6, and I1 which are mounted on the top plate, and the flexible contact members I, 8, and 9 are electrically connected by means of flexible connectors IS with terminal posts 20, 2|, and 22 which are also mounted on the top plate. It will be seen, therefore, that electrical connections with the fixed and movable contact members may conveniently be made through the medium of the associated terminal posts. The top plate II is attached to vertical standards 23 formed integral with the base plate 5.

The electric motor M'is secured to the base plate 5 at one side of the top plate II, and may comprise any suitable type of reversible motor. As here shown, this motor is of the well-known split-phase induction type having a squirrel cage rotor 25 and four field coils 26, 21 26 and 21 spaced 90 apart. The field coils 26 and 26 together constitute the one phase of the motor and are connected in series between terminal posts 28 and 29 mounted on the top plate ll, while the field coils 21 and 21 together constitute the other phase of the motor and are connected in series between terminal posts -30 and 3! mounted on the top plate II. The two sets of field coils constituting the two phases of the motor are adapted to be at times supplied with currents of one relative polarity and at other times with currents of the opposite relative polarity, and it will be apparent that when these two sets of coils are supplied with currents of one relative polarity a'torque will be exerted on the rotor '25 which tends to rotate it in one direction,but that, when these two sets of coils are supplied with currents of the opposite rela-- tive polarity, a torque will then be exerted on the rotor which tendstorotate it in the opposite direction.

The motor M is operatively connected with the rocker l in the following manner: A pinion gear 32 is mounted on the rotor shaft 33, and is connected thereto by a suitable 'clutchmechanism 34 which, in the form here shown, is similar to that described and claimed in Letters Patent of the United States No. 1,627,322, granted to Robert M. Gilson on May 3, .1927, for Electrical relays. '50 Meshing with the pinion gear 32 is a spur gear 35. This latter gear is pinned to a shaft 36 journaled in bearings '31 mounted in the motor frame, and is provided with an integral arcuate counterweight 38 (see'Figs. 2 and 3) which biases the gear and shaft to the nearest one of two extreme positions in one of which one end of the counterweight engages a stop 39 formed integral with one end plate of the motor, and in the other of which the other end of the counterweight engages the stop 39. It will be seen, therefore, that the shaft 36 will be rotated to one extreme position or another according as the two sets of field coils of the motor M are supplied with currents of one relative polarity or the other, and that since the rotor armature is balanced, if the motor becomes deenergized at any time, the shaft 36 will tend to remain in, or rotate to, its nearest extreme position, depending upon the position of the shaft when the motor becomes deenergized.

Secured to one end of the shaft 36 is a crank 48 provided with a crank pin 4| which carries a roller 42 (see Fig. 5). This roller extends into an open end slot 43 formed in the lower end of the vertical leg 44 of the inverted L-shaped operating member 44 the horizontal leg 44 of which is secured to th underside of the rocker l, and cooperates with the operating member in such manner that when the shaft 36 is rotated to the extreme position in which it is shown in the drawing, the roller 42 will engage the operating member at the right-hand side of the slot 4-3 as viewed in Fig. 5 and will thus rotate the rocker to its normal extreme position, but that, when the shaft is rotated to its other extreme position, the roller 42 will then engage the operating member at the other side of the slot and will thus rotate the rocker to its reverse extreme position. It will be noted that the width of the slot 43 is considerably greater than the diameter of the roller, and it follows, therefore, that the roller will remain out of engagement with the operating member for a considerable portion of the intermediate part of the stroke of the operating member. The angular disposition of the parts is such that when the shaft 36 is rotated to either extreme position any torque which is exerted on this shaft due to the flexed condition of the arll s of the flexible contact members will tend to retain this shaft in the extreme position which it then occupies.

The portion of the circuit controller thus far described is of well-known construction, and its operation will be readily understood from the foregoing without further description.

The switch controller also comprises means embodying my present invention for positively locking the rocker I in either extreme position to which it is moved by the motor. As here shown, these means comprise a supporting plate 45 (see Fig. 7) which is secured to the underside of the base plate 5 by means of the same bolts 46 which secure the motor M to this base plate, and also by means of another bolt 41. Extending upwardly from the supporting plate through an opening 48 which is provided in the base plate 5 is a vertical post 49, and pivotally mounted at one end in the upper end of the post 49 is a locking arm 50. This locking arm is biased to an upper position by means of a compressed coil spring 5| which is disposed between the free end of the arm and the supporting plate 45, and mounted on the arm intermediate the ends of the arm is a relatively long roller 52. The roller 52 cooperates with a normal notch 53 and a reverse notch 53 (see Fig. 6) formed in the lower end of the vertical arm of a locking dog 53, the horizontal arm of which dog is riveted to the underside cf the rocker f. The roller 52 also cooperates with a roller 55 which is journaled on the outer end of the crank pin 4|, and which has a larger diameter than the other roller 42 which is journaled on the crank pin 4 I.

The operation of the lock is as follows: The parts are so proportioned that the normal notch 53 or the reverse notch 53 will align with the long roller 52 on the locking arm 50 according as the rocker I is moved to its normal position in which it is shown in the drawing or to its reverse position, and that, when either notch aligns with the roller 52, the spring 5| will move the locking arm 50 upwardly to a locking position in which the roller 52 enters the aligned notch. The parts are further so proportioned that when the roller 52 enters either aligned notch, the rocker I will be positively locked in the extreme position which it then occupies, and that any force which may be exerted on the roller through the locking dog under these conditions, due for example, to the flexed condition of the arms of the flexible contact members, will be in such a direction that it is impossible for the roller to be forced out of the notch by this force. The parts are still further so proportioned that when the rocker 0ccu pies either extreme position and the motor M is reversed to reverse the rocker, the large roller will move into engagement with the long roller 52 and will force the locking arm 50 downwardly, in opposition to the bias of the spring 5|, to a position in which the long roller 52 is clear of the lower end of the locking dog 53 shortly before the roller 42 moves into engagement with the side of the slot 43 opposite to that which is previously engaged, and will subsequently hold the locking arm in the position in which the long roller is clear of the locking dog until after the rocker has been moved past its mid stroke position, thus causing the rocker to become automatically unlocked before any force is exerted on it to reverse it, and to remain unlocked until the rocker reaches its opposite extreme position. It will be seen, therefore, that with the lock constructed in the manner described, the rocker I will become automatically locked in either extreme position to which it is moved by the motor, but will become automatically unlocked in response to the movement of the motor when the motor is reversed to reverse the rocker.

Although I have herein shown and described only one form of switch controller embodying my invention, it is understood that various changes and modifications may be made therein within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

l. A switch controller comprising a pivoted contact carrying rocker, a reversible motor, means controlled by said motor and including a first roller for moving said rocker between two extreme positions, lock mechanism effective for locking said rocker in its two extreme positions, and means controlled by said motor and including a second roller for operating said lock mechanism to unlock said rocker during movement of said rocker by said motor.

2. A switch controller comprising a contact carrying rocker, a shaft which is rotated between two extreme positions, means responsive to rotation of said shaft and including a first roller for moving said rocker between two extreme positions, spring biased means for locking said rocker in either extreme position to which it is moved, and means responsive to rotation of said shaft and including a second roller for unlocking said rocker during the movement of said rocker in response to rotation of said shaft.

3. In combination, a crank rotatable between two extreme positions, a first roller secured to said crank to move therewith, a rocker movable between two extreme positions, an operating member secured to said rocker and provided with a slot which receives said first roller in such manner that said rocker will be moved between two extreme positions in response to movement of said crank between its two extreme positions, lock mechanism effective for locking said rocker in either extreme position to which it is moved, and a second roller secured to said crank and cooperating with said lock mechanism in such manner that said rocker will become unlocked prior to movement of said rocker by said first roller.

4. In combination, a crank rotatable between two extreme positions and provided with a crank pin, a first roller mounted on said crank pin, a pivoted rocker, an operating member secured to said rocker and provided with a slot which receives said first roller in such manner that said rocker will be rotated between two extreme positions in response to. the rotation of said crank but that said rocker will not be moved during a considerable portion of the intermediate part of the movement of said crank, locking means biased to a locking position and effective when in the locking position for locking said rocker against movement, and a second roller cooperating with said locking means and effective during the intermediate part of the movement of said crank for moving said lock mechanism to its unlocking position in opposition to its bias.

5. A switch controller comprising a crank provided with a crank pin, means for rotating said crank between two extreme positions, a first roller journaled on said crank pin, a contact carrying rocker having normal and reverse positions, an operating member secured to said rocker and provided with a slot which loosely receives said first roller in such manner that the rocker will be rotated between its normal and reverse positions in response to rotation of said crank between its two extreme positions but that said roller will move idly in said slot during a portion of the intermediate part of the movement of said crank, a second roller biased to a locking position, a looking dog provided with a first notch which receives said second roller when said second roller occupies its locking position and said rocker occupies its one extreme position and with a second notch which receives said second roller when said second roller occupies its locking position and said rocker occupies its other extreme position, the parts being so proportioned that when said second roller is in either of said notches said rocker will be positively locked in the extreme position which it then occupies, and a third roller journaled on said crank pin and cooperating with said second roller in such manner that it will force said second roller to an unlocking position in which said second roller is clear of said dog during that part of the movement of said crank in which said first roller is moving idly in said slot and will subsequently retain said second roller in its unlocking position until said rocker is moved past its mid stroke position by said first roller.

6. A switch controller comprising a contact carrying rocker, a crank which is rotated between two extreme positions, a first roller secured to said crank and cooperating with means secured to said rocker for rotating said rocker between two extreme positions in response to rotation of said crank between its two extreme positions, lock mechanism effective for locking said rocker in either extreme position to which it is moved. and a second roller secured to said crank and cooperating with said lock mechanism in such manner that said rocker will become unlocked prior to movement of said rocker by said first roller.

CLAUDE M. HINES. 

